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Self-Publishing Wednesday Webinar: Discovery and Sales Optimization for Your Amazon™ Book Page Bill Van Orsdel (303) 974-7845 [email protected] Disclaimer: this site is not affiliated with or funded by Amazon.com. Amazon is a trademark of Amazon.com Inc. or its affiliates.

Discovery and Sales Optimization For Your Amazon Book Page

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WaveCloud's Wednesday Webinar Series. This webinar was created to help authors selling on Amazon.com increase discoverability and optimize sales.

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Page 1: Discovery and Sales Optimization For Your Amazon Book Page

Self-Publishing Wednesday Webinar:

Discovery and Sales Optimization for Your Amazon™ Book Page

Bill Van Orsdel (303) 974-7845 [email protected]

Disclaimer: this site is not affiliated with or funded by Amazon.com. Amazon is a trademark of Amazon.com Inc. or its affiliates.

Page 2: Discovery and Sales Optimization For Your Amazon Book Page

Checklist:

ü  You have researched your market

ü  You have a book up in Amazon™

ü  You already have metadata in place

ü  You can modify/control its metadata

ü  This is part of a bigger marketing plan

Before we get started…

Page 3: Discovery and Sales Optimization For Your Amazon Book Page

�  WaveCloud is an Author Services platform and an ebookstore

�  Helping writers become successful authors is our #1 priority

�  Not a “How To Do”, but a “What To Do”

�  Watch this webinar: Discovery and Sales

Optimization for Your Amazon™ Book Page

A word from our sponsor

Bill Van Orsdel WaveCloud  CMO  

Page 4: Discovery and Sales Optimization For Your Amazon Book Page

Key Points Upload a professional-looking book cover (3 tests)

Build social proof (3.5+ average stars, > 20 reviews)

Optimize price to match your marketing goal:

Maximize (Downloads vs. Readers vs. Revenue)

Logline/hook as book description (in HTML)

Pick “main” and “smallest” relevant categories

Keywords (key phrases) to improve in-Amazon™ SEO

Create author page, upload book trailer, anchor site link

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Point-of-Sale presentation affects book sales

�  Goal: To convert visitors of your page to purchase

1.  Traffic is precious, don’t waste it

2.  Every visitor is an opportunity to make a sale

3.  Basic page improvements require work

�  Better book sales page = better conversion

Better conversion = book sales

Book sales = self-reinforcing cycle

Why does this matter?

Page 6: Discovery and Sales Optimization For Your Amazon Book Page

�  Your  book  cover  must:    

1.  “Stop  the  eye”  with  an  outstanding  image  2.  Confirm  your  genres  (mash-­‐ups)  or  subject  area  3.  Convey  your  professionalism  

�  ComposiJon,  typography,  thumbnail  readability,  compeJJve  images,  colors,  themes  &  image  quality  

 

�  +  for  NonficJon  à  Must  include  a  benefit  promise  �  Also  –  double  check  your  book  cover  format  

Evaluate your Book Cover:

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Outstanding/arres.ng  image?  

Confirm  genres  or  subject  area?  

Convey  professionalism?  

Fiction Examples

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Nonfiction Examples

Outstanding/arres.ng  image?  

Confirm  genres  or  subject  area?  

Convey  professionalism?  

Benefit  Promise?  

Page 9: Discovery and Sales Optimization For Your Amazon Book Page

Two main elements of Social Proof:

1.  # of Reviews (and their order!)

2.  Average Star Rating

These PROVE that someone else read

it and liked it.

How to improve ratings &

get 20+ reviews?

�  Place HTML links in the back of the book

�  Pre-Publication: Professionally edit the book

�  BookReviewBroker.com (community issues!)

�  Friends, family, Facebook & blog campaign

Page 10: Discovery and Sales Optimization For Your Amazon Book Page

End-of-eBook Links

Page 11: Discovery and Sales Optimization For Your Amazon Book Page

�  Pricing  flexibility  is  a  current,  but  eroding  advantage  for  self-­‐published  authors  

§  Free?  §  How  (and  when)  to  make  it  permanently  free  

§  Match  it  to  your  current  markeJng  strategy  

 

Pricing Philosophies

Page 12: Discovery and Sales Optimization For Your Amazon Book Page

Pricing Power Curve

�  Book sales follow a power curve (relative to book price)

�  99 Cents vs. $3.49 - Twice the paid readers & 1/3rd the net revenue

�  The inflection point for maximum net earnings is sensitive to:

�  Amazon™ Royalty breaks and exponent of the power curve

$0

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4

Price vs. Books Sold (relative)

$0

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

- 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50

Price vs. Total Amazon Royalties

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Pricing Considerations q  Amazon™ royalty bands (70% vs. 35%)

q  The status of your “Author Brand”

q  Your sampling or marketing strategy

q  The book’s placement in your series

q  Norms for genre (Established vs. Debut Author)

q  And what are traditional publishers doing?

q  Where is your book in its lifecycle?

q  What experiment are you running today?

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�  Content  �  FicJon:  Logline  &  Hook  

� When  ______  happens  to  ______,  he/she  must  _____  or  face  _____.  (i.e.  “Marked  for  death  along  with  his  companions,  a  toy  rabbit  must  learn  to  cry  real  tears  in  order  to  save  himself  from  being  thrown  into  a  burning  pit  by  the  boy  loves.”)  

�  NonficJon:  Authority  +  Benefit  Promise  +  Unique  ProposiJon  

�  Style:  HTML  (examples)  �  Author  MarkeJng  Club  Demo  �  h^p://authormarkeJngclub.com/members/demo-­‐amazon-­‐

descripJon-­‐generator/  

Book Description

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Categories �  People who like books by _________ will also like

my books. (choose their genre)

�  Book vs. Kindle categories (they’re different)

�  Select two Kindle categories:

�  Most relevant one to catch browsers

�  Smallest relevant one to dominate

�  Once you post a PoD, select one book category,

perhaps different from Kindle

�  ALSO: Make sure your ebook and PoD book are on

the same “page” in Amazon™ store.

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�  Amazon™  is  the  dominant  “Search  Engine  for  Products”  

�  CriJcal  for  nonficJon,  useful  for  ficJon  

�  Choose  phrases  where  possible,  think  SEO  

�  Use  all  seven,  separated  by  commas  

�  i.e.:  Lose  Weight,  Berry  Belly,  First  Contact,  Alien  Invasion,  Time  

Travel,  Speak  With  Confidence,  Military  History,  Honor  

Harrington,  In  Her  Name  

Keywords (Key Phrases)

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Ø Set  one  up  today,  even  if  using  a  pen  name  

Ø Can  drive  traffic  to  your  author  blog  

Ø FicJon  authors:  posiJon  yourself  and  your  wriJng  

Ø NonficJon  authors:  build  credibility  &  authority  

Ø Connect  to  your  Twi^er  account  

Ø Upload  your  video  book  trailer  

Ø Engage  with  your  readers  (Customer  Discussions)  

Amazon™ Author Page

Page 18: Discovery and Sales Optimization For Your Amazon Book Page

Final Recommendations: A.  Upload a professional-looking book cover (~3 tests)

B.  Build social proof (3.5+ average stars, >20 reviews)

C.  Optimize book price to match your marketing goal: Maximize (Downloads vs. Readers vs. Revenue)

D.  Logline/hook as book description (in HTML)

E.  Pick “main” and “smallest” relevant categories

F.  Keywords (key phrases) to improve in-Amazon™ SEO

G.  Create author page, upload trailer, anchor site link

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�  Enjoyed  this  webinar?  WaveCloud  has  more  online!  AddiJonal  webinars  can  be  viewed  here:  WaveCloud  Webinars  

�  Ask  quesJons  regarding  self-­‐publishing,  request  a  topic  you  would  like  to  learn  more  about,  or  tell  us  what  you  think  at  [email protected].    

WaveCloud Self-Publishing Wednesday Webinar Series:

Page 20: Discovery and Sales Optimization For Your Amazon Book Page

Questions?

Bill Van Orsdel (303) 974-7845 [email protected]